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Vindication Log, entry 1. Why its good to be a UK Basketball Fan!!! (Paris, calm down, I also love football) :)

Let me first say hey to everyone at ASOB. It’s been a while. I have been reading but have been so busy, I haven’t responded much if any. I got married in May, thanks in advance. The wedding was great, the reception was a blur (no dad, not because of how much I had to drink, but because it went by so quick). I apologizes in advance for the length of the post, but I don’t think this can truly be addressed in a few sentences.

Why UK has supremacy in fans.

While on our honeymoon, in Riviera Maya, Mexico, I had the pleasure of running into a UNC fan. Now, I run into UL fans everyday at work, running around Louisville, and then once a year in Lexington (reason #l why it should be voted the greatest city in the US). I don’t however run into UNC fans that often.

I walked up to a bar at the hotel and was waiting for a drink. The guy next to me looked over after I ordered and said, “Hey, American? where are you from?”; so I told him. I asked him, and when he said NC, I asked if he was a Puke or UNC fan. He acted offended (off course), then said he was a UNC fan. The conversation was brief but the highlight was when he asked how UK would deal with having 2 players leave to go to the NBA. I proceeded to explain that we were losing 5, that Cal would recruit more, but that ultimately, no one can replace PPat and we won’t see another two in college basketball as talented as Wall or Cousins for a number of years.

He laughed and said that sucks. Me, being the ambassador that I am, asked how he thought his team would do next year and what he thought about the transfers and the new recruits. This is where it gets funny. The only person on the team he could name was Davis, and he had no idea who they had recruited or lost. I didn’t poke fun at his “fandom” or lack there of, I kept quiet.

This was no college kid, he was my age (mid twenties - early thirties). He had no freaking idea who his team consisted of or who he rooted for watching the games. The reason I find this funny is because it kinda goes back to the UNC arena being empty this year because they sucked. UK had a few bad years before Cal came. I’m leaving it at that and not going further. But, I could tell you every player that was blessed enough to wear the uniform. I find it absolutely absurd that a team like UNC could have such pathetic fans.

Next rant, Why our junior college to the north is secretly jealous.

Living in Louisville and being a UK fan has been great the past year. I don’t hear sh!t from those bad people that wear the red and black. When I moved back after graduating from UK two years ago, I HATED seeing all there freaking red and black. That kind of thing, as I mentioned above, is simply not allowed in Lexington. I started work at a local firm and almost everyone I worked with was a Card fan. All I heard every freaking day was how the Cards were going to kick the sh!t out of us in this and that. I had no real argument (other than history, pride, and reasonable arguments which we all know those people don’t understand). So I sat back and kept my mouth shut. Then that September we beat them in their house. I watched as those pitiful fans, that threw beer bottles at my family and cussed us out for wearing BLUE, fled their stadium because they knew that UK was going to win.

Again, I kinda kept my mouth shut (talked a little sh!t to those deserving, and collected in full on those lunch bets won). Fast forward 7 months to Cal joining the ranks, and all I heard was “recruiting violation” and “vacated final fours”. I sat back and kept quiet. I watched our team have a successful year. It certainly wasn’t “the greatest moment in UK history” kinda year, but I’ll let Cal run his ads whenever he chooses. In one season, UK went from being a legend about to be dethroned, to the next king of top 100 recruits nation. Again, I kept quite.

Then this past week TMZ or whatever they are called released the story about UK being looked into by the NCAA. A couple of guys I work with started giving me grief and talk sh!t about Cal being the worst person in college basketball and how our fans are blind to his treasonous acts. For this I can no longer be quite.

As pointed out above, we have the best, most passionate fans there are in this nation. If I thought Cal was steering the helm wrong, I would protest. The “one-and-done” is not a thing of the past or a product of Cal. It is simply a product of the current rules and regulations. Those rules and regulations have cleared Cal on accounts. I therefore have nothing to be upset about.

Cal might not be the most honest guy when it comes to all his intentions or motivations, but he is pretty clear on a few things.
He deeply cares about his players. There isn’t another coach in the entire nation that would have to Cousins to leave if he wanted to stay.
He gets UK. Wipe the drool off your chin every time he speaks and you will understand what I am saying.
He is a philanthropist. The man has actually gone to Haiti. Most presidents can’t claim that.
He has never been found guilty of anything by the NCAA. The OJ, “if the glove doesn’t fit, you must acquit” saying comes to mind. But unlike OJ, I truly believe Cal is innocent.

In closing, to our junior college brothers, and those UNC fan sisters (please ladies don’t be mad, this is just too easy), HATE all you want. The proof is in the wins. We will beat you. We will take your recruits (hope Rick is sleeping well tonight knowing Teague is in good hands). We will exceed expectations. We will win. We will never be conquered.

Winner’s log, dated 7/3/10